


Good Night

by WrathoftheStag (Mwuahna)



Series: Giving Themselves [11]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Cannibal in love, M/M, ravenstag makes an appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-14
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-22 10:38:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8282879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mwuahna/pseuds/WrathoftheStag
Summary: Hannibal has trouble sleeping without Will.  What's to be done about that?  The next installment in the Giving Themselves Completely series, a Season 1 AU where Hannibal and Will begin dating after the Tobias Budge incident.  This one picks up after Weekend in New England.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [victorine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/victorine/gifts), [Devereauxs_Disease](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devereauxs_Disease/gifts).



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_A quiet step, a careful shutting of the door so your sleep is not disturbed,_  
_and two words written on the gate as I leave,_  
_“Good night," to let you know I thought of you._  
\- Good Night, Wilhelm Müller

* * *

Hannibal had grown quite accustomed to receiving a phone call from Will on the nights they did not spend together. This particular evening, Hannibal was having a hard time actually saying goodbye.

“I really should hang up,” Will said smiling, while he settled deeper into the warm cocoon of his bed.

“Then hang up...if that is what you wish.”

“Not if you’re going to put it that way, you ass.”

Hannibal laughed softly. “I hope you realize that you, and only you, can get away with calling me that.”

“You think people don’t call you that all time? Behind your back, anyway,” Will said smirking.

“Rude.”

“Hannibal, it’s almost midnight. We really should hang up. I have to work tomorrow,” Will paused to yawn, “...you have to work tomorrow.”

“Very well. If you insist, then let’s hang up. I won’t beg to stay on the line like some infatuated teen,” Hannibal said dryly.

“But aren’t you though?” Will sassed.

“Good night, Will.”

“Good night, Hannibal.”

Hannibal stayed on the line until it began to beep.

Back in Wolf Trap, Will placed his phone next to his pillow, turned off the lights, said his nightly prayer of, “Good night Winston, Buster, Stanley, Lucinda, Heidee, Max and Dottie. Good night, my sweets in Baltimore. Here’s to a good night’s sleep.” A muffled snort was all the reply he received in return. Soon, Will Graham was out for the night quietly snoring, dreaming of Hannibal Lecter.

**+++**

Back in Baltimore, Hannibal could not sleep. He tossed and turned and tossed some more. The shadows from the tree branches outside created shapes on his bedroom ceiling which to some would appear menacing but to him, dull. Hannibal lay in bed, swirling his feet around, feeling the sheets change from warm to cold with every swirl.

What does a cannibal do when they can’t sleep? Count sheep? Daydream of kidneys jumping across a fence? Do a red blood count? He glanced over to the clock on the nightstand. 1:12 a.m. He couldn’t call Will again...could he?

_I won’t beg to stay on the line like some infatuated teen._

_But aren’t you though?_

“No, I most certainly am not,” he said to the empty room. He reached back and pulled out a throw pillow, then another. With a loud exhale, he flung one of the pillows across the bedroom.

Hannibal sat up, turned on the light, reached for his tablet and went to the Tattle-Crime website. He entered Will's name and the first article that came up was called "It Takes One to Know One." 

> _The FBI isn't just hunting psychopaths, they're head-hunting them too, offering competitive pay and benefits…_

It was a rather nice photo of Will. Hannibal smiled as he stroked the tablet. Next to Will’s article was one about a man who attacked a grandmother over a [chicken salad incident](http://wrathofthestag.tumblr.com/post/148424728274/hannibalisticcrack-i-was-just-re-watching-as-i). Hannibal rolled his eyes, sighed and put the tablet back down.

Half an hour later, sleep was still evading him. Every time Hannibal closed his eyes, he saw one of two things: Will’s face or Will’s ass. There was no point in his subconscious being coy. It knew who it was.

At 2:19 a.m. Hannibal could have sworn he heard a noise coming from the basement. The trap door was closed and secured; he checked it every night -- and if anyone had opened any of the doors or windows on the lower floors, the alarm would have gone off.

Still, he got up, put on his robe and headed downstairs quietly. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All doors closed, all windows tightly shut. Standing in his kitchen, in the dark, with nothing but the hallway light on, Hannibal suddenly felt very, very alone. Cold and alone. It was not a feeling he was comfortable with at all.

He hugged himself, and looked around the kitchen. He sighed and had had enough. Hannibal marched upstairs, took some clothes and a pair of loafers, placed them in his leather satchel, grabbed his car keys, put on his overcoat and walked outside.

**+++**

Will was sound asleep when Hannibal pulled into his driveway at 3:30 in the morning. He reached for the leather key fob with Will’s house key in his coat pocket, and inserted it gently into the lock not wanting to startle Will or the dogs.

The small house was completely still save for the gentle snorts and snores of the seven dogs by the fireplace. Buster immediately raised his head, and walked over to Hannibal, who was then quietly greeted by six other wagging tails. Hannibal didn’t mind petting each one, a smile beginning to form on his face.

Hannibal put his bag down on Will’s corner armchair, hung up his coat on the rack next to the piano, and then approached the bed. Will was on his side, sound asleep. Hannibal watched him for a few moments, studied his breathing, the rise and fall of the sheets with every inhalation and exhalation. Hannibal was enthralled. And then for a moment, he felt silly. Utterly and completely ridiculous.

What had become of him? Is this who he was now -- someone who couldn’t bear to be apart from the person he loved? Someone who could possibly change who they were for the happiness of another?

Was this what he wanted? Who is to say he could not just slice Will open from throat to belly right this second, with his own kitchen knife, and see the life bleed out of him; worship him by consuming him, making him a part of Hannibal in that manner. Would that be the end then? Would Hannibal return to what he was before? What he was meant to be? Such folly it was to be in love. Almost arbitrary, really.

Will sighed in his sleep, and every dark thought that possessed Hannibal in that fleeting moment disappeared. In its place stood a solid, resounding _yes_. Yes to everything. Yes to wanting it. Yes to never being apart. Yes to changing (maybe.) Yes, it was folly -- but Hannibal Lecter wanted it all, wanted it with Will Graham, and wanted it forever.

He gently climbed into bed, the mattress dipping down with the weight of his body, and curled up against Will. Will stirred and then sleepily whispered, “Hannibal?”

“Yes, _mylimasis_.”

“What are you doing here?” Will spoke, though his eyes were still closed and he wasn’t truly awake.

“I...missed...I...I couldn’t sleep without you. Nor did I want to.”

“What?” he asked softly.

“I don’t wish to be apart from you any longer.”

Will, still sleeping, pressed himself back and snuggled into Hannibal. Within a few minutes, Hannibal was sound asleep.

**+++**

Hannibal was pulled out of his sleep by Will’s lips hotly pressed against his mouth. Will’s hand splayed across the waistband of Hannibal’s pajama pants, slowly rubbing back and forth.

“I thought I was dreaming, but then I woke up and you are really here,” Will muttered and dove down once again. Parting the seam of Hannibal’s lips, Will’s tongue steadily explored Hannibal’s mouth. Hannibal instantly reciprocated, and pulled Will on top of him.

The two became lost in one another, yet again, which was always the inevitable conclusion the instant they touched. Neither one recalled who pulled down the other’s pants first, who dotted whose throat with a row of kisses, who it was that grabbed the lube and stretched out the other while words of love and encouragement were whispered. And when “I love you” was repeated again and again -- both a declaration of commitment and a damning siren’s song -- no one remembered or cared who it was, because at that moment Will and Hannibal were identically different and neither could survive separation.

They fell asleep once again, while the ravenstag kept watch at the front door.

**+++**

6:30 was way too early to wake after one’s been in the arms of their beloved most of the night. Between sleeping and kisses and fucking, 6:30 was most definitely an unwelcome visitor.

Will shut off the alarm clock as Hannibal continued to spoon him, wrapping his arms even tighter about him.

“Good morning.”

“Yes, it is,” Will said, not wanting to get up just yet.

“Will?”

“Yes?”

“I think you should call in sick today.”

Will smiled, then said, “I can’t call in sick.”

“And why not? I am about to.”

“But what about your patients?”

“I have five today and fortunately, there is not one on schedule that would be in any sort of danger if they missed one appointment. I can certainly fit them in tomorrow if they’d like to see me then.”

“How can you cancel the same day? That is very unlike you.”

“Will, I have an answering service. They can make the calls for me. I will tell them I am sick.”

“Oh you liar,” Will laughed.

“Yes, and now you can lie as well. Call in. Stay here with me this morning. We can drink coffee, I will make us an omelette, and we can remain in bed fucking one another for the remainder of the day.”

Hannibal still had the power to make Will blush, and so he enjoyed seeing the tips of Will’s ears turn a bright red upon hearing him say those sort of things.

**+**

“A bug?” Jack said sounding unimpressed.

“Yes, one of those 24-hour things. I started feeling crappy yesterday.” Hannibal squeezed in tightly next to Will to listen in on the conversation.

“I see.”

“If you like, I can get a note from _my doctor_.” Hannibal covered his mouth and Will’s as they were each on the verge of laughing.

“Will, don’t be ridiculous. You’re a grown man, I don’t need a note. If you’re sick, then you’re sick. Stay home. I don’t need you bringing your germs into the office and getting everyone else sick. I’ll see you when you’re better. Call Elizabeth at the academy so she can cancel your classes and notify the trainees.”

And with that Jack hung up.

“A note from your doctor? Really, Will,” Hannibal said enveloping Will in his arms, still lounging in bed.

“I thought it was pretty funny,” Will said as he placed his head on Hannibal’s chest; the sound of his heartbeat thrumming strongly in Will’s ear.

**+++**

The tiny, sleepy house was filled with the smells of coffee, cinnamon rolls, and bacon, while the crackling fireplace and Liszt’s Consolations provided the soundtrack for the morning. Hannibal reclined in bed, with eyes closed, listening to the music feeling perfectly content as Will snuggled against him reading _The Sweet Hereafter._

“Will?’”

“Hmmm,” he replied, as he turned the page of his book and warmed his cold feet against Hannibal’s shins.

“I feel we should live together.”

Will’s book fell out of his hand, and landed on his face.

“Hannibal…I--”

“You don’t have to respond right now. Think about it. Carefully. Consider what that would all entail, and then you can let me know. If you don’t feel we are ready, then of course, I will respect your wishes. But all I wish is to be near you all the time. I see no reason for us to live apart.”

“But...what about -- the dogs, where would we...I mean?” Will suddenly had a very difficult time breathing, as though an entire stag had decided to sit on his chest.

“Will, as I said, you don’t have to respond right now. I love you, and just want to be near you -- but I also love you enough to give you the time and space you need.” And with that Hannibal kissed the top of Will’s head and didn’t say another word about it.

Neither did Will.

After a few moments, Will began to get up out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Hannibal asked.

“I should go let the dogs out. Do you want to come with me?”

Hannibal studied Will, then said, “No, I’ll stay here and wait for you.”

The words seemed quite loaded to Will. He pulled on his t-shirt and flannel pants, and whistled to the pack as he grabbed his coat from the coat rack.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” he said with an unsure smile to Hannibal.

**+++**

Once outside, Will took a deep breath and felt the fog of love and lust began to clear from his head. He walked further out into the clearing, his pace quickened to match that of the dogs. He then turned around and looked back at his home shining in the early morning sunlight.

_At night I leave the lights on in my little house and walk across the flat fields. When I look back from a distance the house is like a boat on the sea. It's really the only time I feel safe._

It seemed like an eternity since he said those words to Hannibal and now, so much had changed. There at that moment, inside his little house was Hannibal waiting for him. Hannibal, the one who understood him from the moment they met; Hannibal, the one who accepted him and saw him -- flaws and all -- and still wanted him nonetheless, and not to study him or view him as an interesting oddity but to actually make a life with; Hannibal, the only true reason he _now_ felt safe.

He let the pack run around a few moments longer, then Will ran back inside the house and flung the door open as Hannibal stood at the stove, pouring some more coffee.

“Is everything all right?” Hannibal asked.

“Yes. Yes, it is. Perfect in fact.”

Hannibal tilted his head and put down his coffee, “Will?”

Will walked up to Hannibal, with coat still on, as the dogs ran and swarmed around them. “Hannibal…”

“Yes?”

“I want you near me all the time, too. I’m sorry -- I was being stupid. Who else gets me like you do? Who else will ever? No one.”

Hannibal smiled, “Are you certain?”

“Yes. Yes, absolutely. Let’s do it. I want us to move in together. We don’t have to worry about the specifics right now, just know that I want that...and you.”

Hannibal leaned down and kissed Will softly on the lips. “Very well,” he said, “I suppose there is only thing to do at this moment?”

“What is that, love?”

Hannibal paused slightly and swallowed thickly upon hearing Will refer to him as “love,” he then continued, “We must get back into bed and celebrate.”

Will smiled, as he took off his coat and pajamas and they climbed into the bed. Hannibal sighed contentedly bringing Will into his arms, and then for just the briefest second, Hannibal thought he saw a black stag just outside the window.

**Author's Note:**

> [Franz Liszt - Consolations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9UJW8ociBk)
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> [The Sweet Hereafter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweet_Hereafter_\(novel\)) by Russell Banks. One of my favorite books.
> 
> Come say hi and visit me [on Tumblr](http://wrathofthestag.tumblr.com/).


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